Daughter of the Wise
by Keiko the Merry
Summary: In where Riku meets the daughter of Ansem the Wise. Rated T for mild violence.
1. Chapter 1: Introduction

When Ari, the Wiseman's daughter, found out that her father had disappeared, she went on a search for him. Her research soon lead her to a group called Organization XII and a world called The World that Never Was. Ari realized that to find her father, she must travel to this world. But without a gummi ship she was forced to resort to magic. Being one who knows little of magic, she studied hard to find a way to get to the world. Finally she found a spell of light that would take her there. Ari tried it and succeed, but the exertion proved to be too strenuous on her. She blacked out.  
Ari awoke in a strange dark city. She couldn't remember anything. She found that she couldn't even remember her name. Disoriented and scared she begins to wander the street.  
A member of the organization, called Roxas, was walking through the streets, thinking, when he saw Ari roaming about. He assumed that she was a nobody and walked calmly over to her, asking for her name. Ari says nothing, scared, wet, and cold. A little annoyed he tries again.  
"What's your name?" Ari says nothing and Roxas mistakes her reluctance as a personal offence. Angry, he grabs her by the throat and pins her to the wall of a building, her legs dangling off the ground.

"Roxas," She says, the name popping into her mind like it was her own. _Do I know him?_  
"How do you know me? Who are you?" When she didn't answer again he tightened his grip and Ari began to choke.  
"Put her down," An unidentified voice called out. Roxas and Ari both turn their heads to see a boy with silver hair in a black, organization cloak and a blindfold.  
"Not until she tells who she is." Roxas replied.  
"How can she speak when she can't breathe? Can't you see she's frightened?." The boy retorted.  
"Nobodies can't be frightened. They all put on this show at first, try to be clever."  
"She's not a nobody, put her down."  
"Who are you?" Roxas asked suddenly aware that this boy isn't from the organization.  
"Someone from the dark." The silver-haired boy answers cryptically. Roxas releases Ari and she crumples to the ground. Roxas walks past the boy and contemplates if he is friend or foe. As Ari coughed and breathed grateful breaths, her memories flowed slowly back to her. The silver-haired boy helps Ari to her feet and asks if she's alright. Still out of breath, Ari replies with a quick nod. The stranger pats her shoulder once and leaves her side. He walks over to Roxas and the two boys begin to fight. An overwhelming urge to assist the silver-hair boy comes over Ari but she resists it, knowing that this isn't her fight.  
Suddenly heartless appear all around Ari and she pulls out her two swords, grinning and itching for a fight. With all her memories intact, Ari fights with the agility and grace of one who's trained for years.  
After long time, Ari defeats the last heartless and notices that it's quiet. She looks around and sees the silver-haired boy, lying a only a few yards away. She rushes to his side and notices that he is injured and bleeding. He's conscious.  
"Who are you?" He groans.  
"I'm Ari." She said tearing off a piece of her shirt to wrap around a cut on his arm. He flinches slightly at her touch. "It's alright, I'm trying to help. I want to thank you for saving me back there." She continues to wrap his arm.  
"It was no problem." He said humbly. She tightened the makeshift bandage and he cried out. Ari wondered what his name was. She had always had the gift of telling what a person's name was by their features. But since he was blindfolded, she could not tell. She started to take the blindfold off but he stopped her.  
"Please," He said with sadness in his voice. Impulsively she leans down and kisses him.  
"I'm sorry," She says abruptly breaking the kiss and flushing.  
"It's . . . alright." A faint smile plays upon Ari's lips but she quickly hides it.  
"We should get somewhere indoors. Can you walk?"  
"Yeah."  
She helped him into an old building, where she cleaned the rest of his wounds. The boy assumed a brooding silence while she did, and said nothing. Ari wanted to know more about him but was unwilling to press him for further information. She felt guilty because she thought that she was the reason he and that other boy started a fight. To her surprise, the silver-haired stranger broke the silence.  
"So what brings you, Ari, to desolate world?" He asks.  
"I'm looking for my father, who disappeared from my world a couple years ago. Perhaps you know of him, his name is Ansem, Ansem the Wise." The boy propped himself onto his elbows and furrowed his brow. "What? So you do know him?'  
"Ari your father is dead. He - or rather his heartless was destroyed by a friend of mine. He was going to hand the world over to darkness. I am . . . sorry." Ari shook her head in disbelief.  
"No . . . no, no! He was a good man! He only wanted to protect his people. He'd never-" she couldn't finish; she buried her face in her hands and cried. Ari was only partly aware of arms encircling her.  
"I'm sorry," He whispered in her ear and then left her alone. Ari cried herself to sleep.

Ari was asleep when she felt something soft brush against her cheek. Lips? She sleepily opened her eyes and a cloaked figure heading out the door. He looked taller than before.  
"Wait!" He stopped and turned around to look at her, his hood clouding his face. "Where are you going?"  
"I have to go . . . complete a mission."  
"It's just I don't know your name. I haven't even seen your eyes and eyes play a big role in telling someone's name."  
"You tell what someone's name is just by looking at them? How?" She had captured his curiosity for a moment.  
"Let's just say I'm good with names."  
"I have to go; I've tarried here to long." He began to leave again.  
"If I knew your name I could find you again and tell you more about names."  
"Riku."  
"Farewell then, Riku, until we meet again." She grinned.  
"Goodbye, Ari, daughter of Ansem the Wise." And so he was gone


	2. Chapter 2: A Figure in the Sky

It was a dark night for all the worlds, but for Destiny Islands it was also stormy. Thunder and lightning crashed and lit up the sky. The winds blew so violently that the trees rocked. Waves surged and crashed on the beach. And while Sora, Roxas, and Namine were away visiting King Mickey, Riku and Kairi waited the storm out together in the hut on the beach.

Somewhere over the ocean a light flashed, one that did not belong to lightning. A figure appeared and fell into the sea. They were injured, and with the waves as violent as they were, the figure almost drowned. But somehow they made it to solid ground. The stranger got up, clutching the injured shoulder, and stumbled to the beach cabin. Riku and Kairi were playing cards when they heard thumping on the door.

"I'll get it," Riku said getting up, "It's probably Tidas, Wakka, and Selphie wanting to join us." He opened the door and a girl collapsed into his quick arms. In her left shoulder was an arrow and dripping from wound was blood and an inky-black liquid. She was clad in a thin, white, stained nightgown that was knee-length.

"Oh my . . .!" Kairi exclaimed. The face, though pale and wracked with pain, was familiar to Riku. She opened her eyes, if only for a moment, to see who had caught her.

"Riku," she whispered and closed her eyes again. Riku picked the girl up and carried her in while Kairi shut the door.

"Do you know her?" Kairi asked perplexed.

"We met . . . once." He replied cryptically. The girl moaned.

"Well?" Kairi encouraged.

"Her name is Ari." Riku informed her. "Ari, what happened? How'd you get here?"

"We-we were at-attached . . . by h-heart-heartless. Hoards of them. I w-was shot by an-an arrow. The liquid you see is darkness. I-I . . . I don't know how-how I got h-here," Ari managed to get out.

"Stay still," Riku advised and he pulled Kairi aside to talk to her in private. "I've seen this before . . . the darkness spreads throughout the body like a virus and eventually consumes the heart. Now I can heal the wound but I need light to remove the darkness. I don't have that power, Sora does."

"But Sora's visiting the king he won't be back for three days and there's no way to get a message to him," Kairi stated.

"I know. . ."

"Well does she have three days?" Kairi asked, horrified.

"Maybe, maybe not."

"Do what you can." Kairi told Riku and he nodded and walked back to Ari. He knelt over her and wrapped his hand around the arrow.

"Kairi, cover your ears and look away."

"What?" She asked but complied.

"I'm sorry Ari, this is going to hurt," Riku whispered. He rips the arrow out and Ari let lose a horrible, bloodcurdling scream. She surprisingly stayed conscious.

"Riku!" Kairi scolded turning around again.

"It had to come out," He threw back. Ari moaned and cried out in pain.

"Hurry up and heal it." Kairi commanded.

"Not yet, I want to see how much darkness we can get out. Get me a sponge and a bowl of water?" Kairi nodded, rolling her eyes and left the room. She came back with the required items and Riku began to soak the poison up, careful not to drip on anything. Kairi watched over his shoulder, supervising and asking at two minute intervals if he was done yet. Riku would reply patiently "no". Finally, after twenty minutes, he had gotten all out that was possible. It was already in her blood system. Ari had fallen asleep from exhaustion during the cleaning.

"Do you know how long she has . . . before it takes her heart?" Kairi asks wringing her hands.

"Well it depends on the person," He said rubbing his temples, "and their ability to resist darkness. We will just have to wait."

"Who exactly is she and how did you two meet?"

"It's . . . a long story," Riku replied a little embarrassed and reluctant to relay the story to Kairi.

"Well we've got the time," She encouraged. So Riku told her about when he was looking for Roxas in The World That Never Was and he found him threatening Ari. After Roxas defeated him, Ari took care of him and dressed his wounds. She told Riku that she was here looking for her father, Ansem the Wise. It was then that Riku told her that he was dead by Sora's hand (for that's what he believed but later found out that her father was still alive). After Riku recovered he took the form of Xehanort and he and Ari parted company. Riku left out the part about Ari kissing him for he knew what Kairi would assume and he wasn't sure if he wanted her to know.

"Well now that we've cleared that up I suppose one of us will have to take care of her until Sora shows up and fully heals her. I think the storm's died down, so let's go back to our houses and get Ari some clothes and bedding so she's comfy."

As soon as the two islanders left Ari closed and locked the windows and door. She closed the shades so that it was as dark as night in the little beach hut. She had to make sure that she survived for three days. Ari thought that the best way to delay the poison was to be alone. No one to aggravate her.

When Riku and Kairi returned with the provisions for Ari, they found that she had barricaded herself in the hut. Needless to say, Kairi was furious. By the time they gave up trying to break in, it was morning.

"We just saved her life! What does she think she'll accomplish by locking herself away like that?" Kairi asked throwing her arms up in the air in frustration. Then her voice took on a calmer, gentler tone, "I'm worried is all, she's going to need help." The two were still outside the hut, Kairi was standing and pacing while Riku sat on a barrel.

"She thinks she has to be alone for this," Riku told Kairi.

"Do _you_ think that?"

"No, but unless she's willing to let us in, there's nothing we can do."

"Well then I'm going to see if she's willing to let me in." Kairi knocked on the door, three sharp raps. "Ari," She said in her sincerest, gentlest voice, "Can I come in?" No answer. "Ari?"

"Leave me," said Ari's muffled emotionless voice.

"But-"

"Please," Ari pleaded, "Just go." Kairi gave a defeated shrug indicating she didn't know what to do. Riku sighed exasperatedly and got up and came to the door knocking on it a little.

"Ari, it's Riku, let me in," his voice was demanding.

"N-no," came the unsure reply.

"Let me in."

"No," She repeated sounding annoyed.

"Let me in, Ari," this time pleading.

Something hit the door and shattered and at the same time Ari screamed at the top her lungs, "NO!" Riku's eyebrows furrowed, shocked and a little confused. His eyes betrayed something that almost looked like hurt. But then he turned and walked away from the little hut, followed by a dumbstruck Kairi.

"She won't last three days like this," He said under his breath.


	3. Chapter 3: Thinking Wears You Out

Ari panted, appalled and perplexed herself by her heated reaction to Riku's demand. What was happening to her? She almost never lost her temper and when she did it never came to screaming or throwing. A tear fell from her eye, sliding down her pale cheek and hitting the hardwood floor with a little _s_plat. _No. Don't cry. You have to be strong. Don't let it control you_. She thought wiping away the watery track the tear made. _Three days shouldn't be _too_ hard. _She thought more cheerfully. _That is, if they don't bother me again_. They were the ones who provoked her weren't they? If they'd have just left her alone like she'd asked – but Ari dismissed that thought. They were only concerned for her and she didn't want to think on the matter any more. Better she didn't think of them at all.

Ari thought then of her father. She learned upon returning to Radiant Garden that Riku was mistaken in telling her that her father was dead. After Sora defeated Xemnas, she found out that her father's machine, to convert Kingdom Hearts into data, exploded and no one knew what happened to him. It was generally accepted that he was dead. Ari knew that dead or alive, she would never see her father again. She missed him terribly. They were very close. He was her best friend, especially after Ari's mother died. It was hard for both of them, but more so for Ansem. His daughter looked so much like her mother, but Ari was practically his shadow. She was so much like him. As a little girl, Ari would follow him everywhere; even when she wasn't supposed to and that often got Ari into trouble.

Back at Radiant Garden it was currently being discussed whether or not Ari would succeed her father. Ari didn't think she that she _couldn't_ rule, but she would prefer not to. She liked to travel and see the worlds. How could she govern a world she was always away from? This was exactly the issue being debated at Radiant Garden by the committee. Leon and Arieth thought Ari shouldn't be obligated to rule and should be able to do as she wanted. The two thought that elections were the most prudent course of action. Sid and Yuffie thought that elections would prove too much trouble and that it would just be easier for Ari to take the throne. Elections might breed dissent and disagreement. Merlin however, took both sides of the argument and never seemed be able to settle on one. And then there was that new guy. The creepy little man who had weaseled his way into the committee. He was mum as to his opinion. The others seemed to like him but Ari distrusted him. His name was Souta.

Ari was confused as to what to do. She would like not to have the burden of ruling but if she had to, of course she'd take the throne. It was all so very confusing. What was going to happen to the people if her heart was lost to darkness? Ari worried for her home's safety. Had it survived the heartless attach?

These thoughts ran through Ari's mind. Circled and looped, drifted in and out, and raced around in her restless head until they drove her to exhaustion and she slept.


	4. Chapter 4: Second Meetings and Dreams

Riku woke the next day not knowing what he was going to do. He was unsure as how to deal with Ari. She wanted to be alone but he knew that she needed help. The poison would consume her and by the end of the day her heart would be forfeit to darkness.

Riku jumped out of bed, ate a hasty breakfast, rowed over to the island, and marched down to the hut. For a moment he just stood there, deliberating. The day was clear and warm, but a chill wind blew unrelenting and made him shiver. It was mid spring on Destiny Islands and although the heat of summer was slowly creeping in, it was often chased away by winter's lingering chill. Riku pounded on the door. There was silence.

"Ari I'm coming in, so open the door or I'll-"

"It's unlocked," She cut him off in a voice so quiet and soft that Riku almost didn't catch it. Riku looked to see if anyone was around before entering. He let the door be blown open wide and took a quick look before Ari bid him to close and lock the door.

With that few moments look, Riku saw Ari seated in one of the chairs he and Kairi had sat in yesterday. He also saw that Ari's lips had darkened to a deep blackish purple and her once light, violet irises were now black. Her already porcelain skin had paled even further so that her vein could be seen. Ari's hair was matted and dirty and her nightgown was stained and rumpled. To Riku she appeared like a disheveled little Gothic doll.

The room was as dark as night. It would have been pitch black if not for little shafts of light filtering through small holes and cracks in the woodwork that made up the little hut.

"Hello Riku," Ari greeted studying him closely.

"Hello Ari," he replied.

"You must be wondering why I let you in," she said gesturing for him to take a seat.

"Yes," he answered seating himself.

"To be honest, so am I." She did not look at him and they were silent.

"I should have brought you something to eat; you haven't eaten anything thing since you got here."

"It wouldn't have done any good, I am not hungry." Silence again.

"You look horrible," Riku stated bluntly. Ari scowled at him and her grip on the arms of the chair tightened visibly. He shrugged, "You do." She looked down and saw the state of her clothes and relaxed and chuckled.

"Yes, I do," She said smiling and shaking her head.

"Did you sleep at all?" Riku asked changing the subject.

"Very little, three or four hours."

"What have you been doing all this time?"

"Thinking," Ari replied casually, rising from her chair to pace leisurely back and forth. "About my father mostly. Home too, about my. . ." she paused searching for the right word, "situation there."

"What situation is that?" Riku inquired. Ari quickly explained the ruler issue of Radiant Garden.

". . . and since I'm a committee member as well as the only one left of the Royal Bloodline, I have to make the decision," She exclaimed throwing her arms in the air exasperatedly.

"Did any of this thinking you did help?" Ari scoffed.

"No. It's only made me more confused." She flopped back down into her chair with a huffy sigh. "I also thought about what happened on Radiant Garden." She glanced up at Riku and he nodded, encouraging her to go on. "I was asleep and a sense of . . . no, a feeling that something wasn't quite right, as though and alarm woke me up. I looked out my bedroom window and saw the gang already fighting, hopelessly outnumbered by heartless. Without a second thought, or a pause to get dressed or even put shoes on, I grabbed my swords and rushed to join them.

I had only fought for forty-five minutes when an arrow caught me in the shoulder. Last thing I remember is seeing an arrow plummeting towards me. I went down and blacked out. Next thing I know, I hit water. I vaguely remember swimming for shore and I don't know how I got to that door. But you know the rest. I'm not sure how I got to this world."

"Perhaps someone sent you here." Riku ventured.

"Why?"

"Well someone saw you get hit and sent you here knowing we could help. Plus, if you were outnumbered then they probably wanted to make sure you stayed alive."

"That does sound like something Merlin would do," Ari pondered.

"Then that's probably what happened."

"Hm." Ari thought for a moment. "The other night I caught that Sora was away and that he was the only one that could heal me fully, what I didn't catch is where he was or when he'd be back."

"He, Roxas, and Namine went to visit his friends at Disney Castle. He and the others should be back in two days."

"Why didn't you or Kairi go?"

"I've been away from home long enough," He replied solemnly. "Plus, someone has got look after this place and Kairi stayed to keep me company, I suppose." Ari nodded and there was silence yet again.

"Riku," Ari said solemnly after a few minutes.

"Yes?"

"I'm tired. Would you stay with me while I sleep and wake me if I start to scream? Last night I had nightmares."

"Yes."

"Okay." Ari lied down on the floor and curled up. Riku got up and sat next to her and she dropped quickly off to sleep.

Ari dreamt of a shore, a solemn gray beach. The sound of the waves and a slight breeze made it seem peaceful, but the lack of sunlight and color made it desolate. A faint light, like a pale moon, shone in the distance on the horizon. Everything was still. The breeze whispered lonely thoughts into her ear. For a moment there was nothing. Heartless appeared and reached out and grabbed her. They pulled her into their dark realm. They held her down so that she couldn't move. Then they stole her heart and she lost herself.


	5. Chapter 5: Riku Subdues Ari

Ari awoke to Riku's raised voice yelling at her. He was kneeling over her, holding both of her of her arms. She looked around and noticed that it was totally dark. The sun had set.

"You were screaming and . . . flailing," He explained.

"Let me go," She mumbled, still trying to catch her breath.

"What?" Riku asked, not hearing what she said.

"I said let go of me!" She wrenched herself free and got up, turning from him. Ari did not want him to see her cry. For a moment neither of them said anything.

"What was it about?" He asked gently.

"Nothing." Ari was surprised at how she didn't let emotions color voice.

"Oh, it was something," He scoffed.

"Leave me alone." She snapped

"I'm only trying to help."

"I don't need your help!" Riku quickly bit back his heated reply and his face flushed with anger. He looked so furious that Ari was taken aback. Then his face smoothed out into an emotionless expression.

"I don't know if it's you, or the darkness that's lashing out at me. I'm-" He stopped to grip her shoulders tightly. Ari stared up into his still expressionless face, a little frightened. He didn't meet her gaze. "I thought I could help. I've had a few brushes with darkness myself, to say the least, but none like this."

"What are you trying to say?" She said with all the asperity she could muster. He looked at her in such a way that she couldn't look away, though she wanted desperately to.

"I don't know you, Ari." Riku released her and headed for the door.

"Wait!" She cried. Riku looked over his shoulder at her, a slight, almost invisible smiled tugging at the corner of his mouth. "I'm . . . sorry." Riku closed the crack he had opened and strode back to the table. He sat down in a chair, put an arm on the arm, rested his chin on his fist, and stared at her. He wore a smug, amused face. Ari frowned at him.

"All right, I said 'I'm sorry', no need to be smug about it," she said, taking a seat herself. Riku only grinned at her. She shot him a contemptuous glare. Unaware of what to do next, she rose from her chair and began to pace. For a while, Riku just watched her.

"Not very patient are you," he commented.

"No I suppose I'm not. I'm . . . I'm just a little restless. I don't know what to do."

"Talk to me," he suggested.

"About what?"

"Anything, all I know about you is that your father is Ansem. Here, how about I say something about myself and then you say something. Ok, I like to listen to the sound of waves." Ari smiled shyly. She sat back down.

"I like watching old movies and repeating all the lines." Riku burst out laughing. "What?" She asked indignantly.

"I just pictured you doing that," He said through laughs. Ari put her hands on her hips and frowned. He stifled his laughter and composed himself. "I'm terrified of monkeys." Now it was Ari's turn to laugh.

"I hate it when people interrupt me. Does that sound horrible?" She asked afraid the statement made her sound like she was in love with herself.

"No, I know how you feel."

"Good," She laughed. "I'm not alone." She looked up at Riku and realized she was not alone in more ways then one.


	6. Chapter 6: Girls will be Girls

Kairi waved to Sora and the others from the beach. Beside him were Roxas and Namine, Roxas with his arm around Namine's shoulders. He ran to her her a gave her a quick hug. Across the ocean the sun was setting.

"Sora, you have to hurry," Kairi said tugging him in the direction of the beach hut. "Do you have your keyblade?" Roxas and Namine hurried after them.

"I always have my keyblade," He replied. "What's wrong?"

"There's a girl here, she needs your help. She was poisoned with liquid darkness."

"Hey," Roxas said, "isn't that what King Mickey was just talking about? He said it was the newest weapon of the heartless."

"Who is she?" Namine asked.

"Her name is Ari, she's the daughter of Ansem the Wise."

"Ansem's daughter?" Sora and Roxas said in surprise.

"She knew Riku," Kairi shrugged. They reached the door of the hut. They could hear Riku's voice but couldn't discern what he was saying. They also heard a girl's voice, it sounded distraught. Kairi knocked, the was a crash somewhere inside. "Riku, Sora's here." Immediately the door opened and the four were admitted. The girl, who looked like a ghost, screamed and shrank away from the light that poured in from the door. Riku shut it.

"The poison's reached her heart," Riku said the worry very evident in his voice, "I can't get any sense from her." Ari paced the room muttering incoherently and occasionally crying out in frustration.

"King Mickey showed me how to draw the poison out. I just hope it's not to late," Sora said taking his keyblade out. "She needs to be still." Riku moved cautiously toward Ari. He gently put his hands on her shoulders. She shirked away from the touch, but Riku held fast. She tried getting out of his grasp, so he held her around her waist. She struggled with an unnatural strength and took all of Riku's took hold her still. Roxas moved in to help but she screamed at him and he backed away. Sora approached while she was distracted by Roxas and pointed the keyblade at her heart. He looked intently at the spot and what looked like black smoke came out. It hovered and swirled as he drew all of it out. Then a bright light flashed and Ari screamed. When the blinding light subsided, Ari went limp. Laying her down on the ground, but still holding her in his arms, Riku touched her cheek.

"Ari?" He asked gently. She stirred slightly, her lips returning to their natural pink color. Her eyes fluttered open, they had returned to the color violet.

"Hey," Roxas said recognizing her, "I know her. I saw her once in The World that Never Was. We didn't exactly meet on the best terms." Ari looked up at him.

"Roxas," She said smiling.

"Yes, sorry about. . .you know when we first met. I wasn't feeling myself."

"No hard feelings," She assured him.

"Are you okay,?" Sora asked.

"I'm a little tired," She said as Riku helped her up. The girl's walked up to her and took over for Riku.

"You can stay at our house, Ari," Kairi said leading her outside

"That's very kind of you," Ari thanked, squinting even in the fading light of the sunset. The boys followed them out.

"She's pretty," Sora commented, looking at Riku through the corners of his eyes, his expression amused.

"Yes very," Roxas agreed, doing the same. Riku nodded, ignoring them.

"Nine tomorrow?" Sora asked.

"As usual." Riku affirmed and they all headed to their boats, giving quick waves of goodbye to each other.

Back at Kairi and Namine's house, Ari took a shower. When she got out Kairi and Namine took her to their huge closet. Half of it was full of Kairi's clothes while the other half, was Namine's.

"You can choose anything you want to wear. After you dress we'll order some take-out." Kairi skipped away and Namine walked out.

Ari turned to the closet. Neither of the girl's clothes were her style. Kairi's clothes wear too bright and preppy, while Namine's clothes were all soft pastel colors. Ari preferred darker, more edgy clothes. She examined all of Kairi's clothes and decided on a dark blue skirt that came up to her mid thighs and a pair of black flats. From Namine's half she chose a periwinkle long-sleeved shirt that fell off her shoulders. It came with a little choker necklace that was the same color as the shirt. Putting the clothes on, she examined herself in the full-length mirror. Still a little preppy for her taste, but it looked alright. She would have preferred boots. Gingerly tossing her hair over her shoulder, Ari briskly walked out into the living room.

Namine was bent over her sketch pad, drawing a picture of the sunset. Kairi was on the phone ordering food. Namine looked up from her drawing when Ari entered.

"Hey you look great!" She complimented.

"Cute outfit!" Kairi called. "No I was not talking to you, Mr. Shui. Yes that's right. Ten minutes or my money back right? Not that you've ever been late. Okay bye!" She hung up the phone. "So, I was thinking we could have a girl's night."

"That sounds like fun!" Namine said putting her drawing down.

"I'm game," Ari said flopping on the couch.

"First we'll watch a girly movie!" The three of them decided on Tuck Everlasting. The girl's changed into pj's and turned all the lights off. Kairi popped the movie in and broke out the popcorn, candy, and soda. Just as they were getting settled to watch the movie, the doorbell rang. The girl's raced to be the first to the door. Ari won. She opened to see the face of a cute delivery guy. Ari smiled flirtatiously. Kairi and Namine crowed in behind her. She looked at the clock.

"Eight minutes, pretty slick," She said, enunciating her words. He smiled.

"How are you ladies doing tonight?"

"Fine," Kairi and Namine piped.

"Well, here's your food. You certainly have good taste. That'll be 16.50."

"Here you are," Ari said handing him the money.

"So what are you ladies up to?"

"Girl night." Namine replied.

"Yeah, no guys allowed," Kairi flirted.

"Girl's night. I better go before it gets ugly then, eh? Have a good night, girls."

"You too!" The three called together. Ari shut the door and burst out laughing. "I can't remember when I've had this much fun!" Ari said through laughter.

"And the night is still young!" Kairi said dramatically. They laughed.

Finally the girls got to sit down after distributing their dinner. By this time, the sun had set and stars were popping up in the sky. The girls pigged out and crying during the movie. To Ari it felt good to feel like a teenager, and not a ruler. She was glad to have made fast friends in Kairi and Namine. Absently she wished Yuffie and Aerith were there. Even though they were a little older, they still would have enjoyed a girls night with the younger girls. After the movie the girls wiped away their silly tears and talked.

"So you and Sora are an item?" Ari asked. Kairi giggled an was unable to answer.

"Yes," Namine answered for her.

"Do you like anyone Namine?" Namine blushed deeply.

"Oh please! She's head over heals for Roxas! Ok we've told you who we like, it's you turn."

"Well, no one."

"Perhaps the take-out delivery guy?" Namine suggested.

"Or perhaps Riku?" Kairi put slyly. "Oh come on, I saw the way he held you!"

"I've a secret, but you can on speak of it, or tell anyone! Ok? Anyone."

"We promise," the girl's said as one.

"We've kissed," Ari whispered.

"What? You and Riku?"

"When we first met. Or rather I kissed him. But then again I remember him kissing me on the cheek when I was asleep." The two girl's squealed.

"I must draw you two," Namine commented.

"No!"

"Ok, ok, I won't," Namine assured her.

"Still. . .you guys are perfect for each other."

"I don't think he wants to be more than friends right now," Ari said wistfully.

"Why don't you ask him," Namine suggested.

"And humiliate myself when he says no? I don't think so," Ari scoffed. "Besides, I'm not sure I want to more than friends either."

"Oh she is a stubborn one," Kairi chuckled. Ari ginned defiantly.


	7. Alert

*****Author's note: I will no longer be updating this story here. If you want to keep reading the new and improved story will be posted on my other account here: .net/u/1872007/Petite_Moineau*****


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